If you are looking for unique crafts for men, these DIY comic book coasters are perfect. Use materials right from the hardware store!
It’s so hard for me to think of crafts for men! You may be like me and have a brother who loves comic books – in which case, comic book coasters are the perfect gift for said brother. And trust me, I’m not throwing stones. I’m a Star Wars fanatic. I even have a t-shirt (I wear it) that says “Be Nice to Nerds.” Haha!
I’m quite pleased with Man Podger David’s project because I know a lot of you are looking for gifts and project ideas for the men in your life. You’ll want to pay attention (especially if you’re a beginner); he also used an unusual surface for the base. Coupled with Outdoor Mod Podge, this comic book coasters project is a win.
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If you’ve visited my Etsy store you know I’m the coaster guy. I have coasters of every style under the sun but they only come in one shape: square. So, I’m always looking for new possibilities and I was so happy when in the electrical/lighting section of Home Depot I came across these metal blanks that are made to cover up unused outlets ($1.40 each).
You can buy round wood or chip-board blanks for coasters but for me they are just too lightweight (nothing is more annoying than a coaster that ALWAYS sticks to your glass). However, these are perfect – less clunky than making a coaster out of a tile but still heavy and versatile.
Make Comic Book Coasters
For this project you will need:
- Outdoor Mod Podge
- Comic books – use the real thing or printouts
- Electrical outlet covers
- E-6000 adhesive
- Spray paint
- Paintbrush
- Sandpaper
I wanted a white coaster, so after a light sanding with some 220-grit sandpaper (just to rough up the surface and give the paint something to stick to) I used some Antique White spray paint and allowed it to dry thoroughly.
I love old comic books and decided to use some graphics from a book I found on the Remainder Table a while ago. Sometimes I find it hard to visualize what a section will look like when it’s cut out so I used my Fiskars Circle guide to get a sense of where on the page I wanted to cut.
There are two screw holes in the blank and your paper will need to cover them. I chose to leave a little edge showing, but it would also work to cover the entire surface with paper.
If you choose this route, just cut a circle a little larger than the blank and after applying it and allowing it to dry you’d cut away the excess paper with a craft knife. After deciding and cutting out the images it’s time to Mod Podge.
I like to dampen my images before attaching them as it reduces the bubbles and wrinkles that plagued me in my early Mod Podge attempts.
NOTE: This method will NOT work with images printed on an ink jet printer as the ink will run – you should always test a little section of the paper to make sure it will hold up. I fill a container with water and drop the image in to soak a little while I prepare the surface.
When I pull the image out of the bath I run my fingers along either side of it to remove any excess water. After that I lay it on the surface and gently smooth it out, pushing out any air that gets trapped or any excess Mod Podge (having a paper towel handy is helpful) and allow it to dry.
After about 20 minutes, I top coated the coasters with a layer of Mod Podge and allowed it to dry, then sanded it with my 220 grit sandpaper and gave it another coat.
I glued the gaskets that come with the blanks onto the backside for my padding using E-6000 glue – you could also use cork or felt if you’d prefer.
And you now have finished comic book coasters to gift. Or keep for yourself.
Thank you David – these comic book coasters are awesome. My brother’s birthday is coming up and I’m going to make these. No one tell him!
If you like this comic book craft, you’re going to love these other ideas:
Comic book clock from a charger
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